Alhaitham drew in a deep breath and said,
"Great Lord Rukkhadevata, my suggestion is this: exile some, suppress some, and keep some."
The Dendro Archon nodded gently, her eyes carrying encouragement.
"And how do you propose to carry this out?"
Alhaitham's mind raced at full speed. After a brief pause, he answered,
"The ones to be exiled should be sent to the desert to teach. Let them fill in the knowledge the desert has long lacked."
"What if they hold resentment in their hearts, and deliberately pass false knowledge to the people of the desert?" Rukkhadevata pressed further.
Alhaitham looked relaxed as he turned to Cyno.
"That would be the job of the General Mahamatra's order."
"Me?" Cyno froze for a moment, then quickly understood. "I see. The Matra will handle this."
"Good."
Rukkhadevata smiled with satisfaction.
"At first, I still worried about the state of Sumeru. But now, seeing this young generation—especially you all—makes me feel at ease. I believe with your efforts, Sumeru will only grow stronger and brighter.
If, in this process, you find flaws in the current order, I entrust you to correct them, so Sumeru may continue to improve. Can you promise me that?"
Her voice was gentle, almost like a plea.
Alhaitham and the others felt their spirits ignite, as if infused with fresh strength. They all nodded earnestly in agreement.
What a mesmerizing Archon…
Lu Heng marveled silently.
He had underestimated the power of Rukkhadevata's presence.
Just a few words, and she could make people pledge their lives to her cause.
And yet, she was worthy of such devotion. For she truly was a great god.
"Now," her tone cooled, "let us go see those sages."
—
The path of knowledge was filled with temptations that could lead one astray.
Without question, Azar and the sages had been lured by arrogance and their illusion of omniscience, warping their hearts.
They thought: If we cannot be guided, then we will create a new god to guide us.
But that was a paradox. Limited as they were, how could they create a being wiser than themselves? Technology could build weapons, yes—but wisdom could never be manufactured.
Their plan to let a man-made god connect with Irminsul was nothing but folly.
That was what stirred Rukkhadevata's deepest discontent.
They entered the depths of the Akademiya.
Here lay the Grand Sage's office.
At the entrance, two sages knelt trembling, their heads bowed. Beyond them, slumped over his desk, was Azar—his skull shattered, lifeless.
Rukkhadevata did not look at the kneeling sages. Instead, she stepped forward and picked up the document lying on the desk.
She read every word carefully before sighing.
"A child who lost his way… Even if I am willing to forgive you, your sins will not diminish. Let this be the end. May your name remain in history books as a warning, so that future scholars will hold reverence in their hearts. Perhaps, that is what you would have wished to see."
Had it been another Archon with a harsher temper, Azar's corpse would have been erased entirely.
But Rukkhadevata carried both mercy and authority.
A mistake was still a mistake—punishment could not be avoided.
With a wave of her hand, several young scholars rushed in. They nervously carried away Azar's body and began cleaning the blood that had dried on the floor.
Then Rukkhadevata turned her gaze upon the two sages kneeling before her.
"You must have thought much before I came," she said softly.
The sages didn't dare breathe.
Her tone was gentle, yet she was the immovable faith of Sumeru. Even they, once scholars proud of their knowledge, worshiped her still.
"You've already accepted your fate, haven't you?" she asked.
"Yes!" The two pressed their foreheads harder against the floor.
"Do you have anything left you wish to say to me?"
They exchanged a glance, then shook their heads.
"Then go." She sighed.
Relief flashed across their faces. Rising to their feet, they solemnly straightened their robes and bowed deeply.
"Criminals take their leave."
They no longer dared to call themselves her followers. From the moment arrogance took root in their hearts, they had already strayed from her path.
Without another word, they left. Moments later, two sharp gunshots rang out.
Paimon shivered. The silence in the room grew heavy, and Lumine looked like she wanted to speak but held back.
"It is done."
Rukkhadevata's voice was steady, unaffected by emotion.
She turned to Alhaitham and Tighnari.
"Can I trust you to handle the rest here?"
"We won't disappoint you." Alhaitham nodded firmly.
"You have my word." Tighnari bowed.
The Archon inclined her head slightly before looking at Lu Heng.
"Shall we go to the Sanctuary of Surasthana?"
"Let's."
It was only a ten-minute walk from the Akademiya. Along the great branches of the divine tree, the road spiraled upwards to the sanctuary at its crown.
"I wonder what that child is thinking now," mused Rukkhadevata, her eyes soft with curiosity.
"What do you think?" Lu Heng asked Lumine and Paimon.
"She must feel very lost," Paimon ventured.
Lumine thought deeply. "She's still shaken."
"Why do you say that?" Lu Heng pressed.
"Because… the day you fought the Raiden Shogun, the sight was terrifying. Nahida, already so insecure about her weakness, must still be haunted by it." Lumine explained.
"I think so too," Rukkhadevata agreed.
Even without having met Nahida yet, she already understood the child's heart.
Before her existence was forgotten, Nahida had been pure and kind, timid but resolute in her own small beliefs, and deeply protective of her people.
But after that point, she had changed. Not arrogant, but different inside.
It was not simply a matter of gaining authority—rather, the absence of her predecessor had forced her to bear burdens far beyond her years.
At the sanctuary gates, the guards of the Corps of Thirty saluted with trembling excitement.
"Great Lord Rukkhadevata!"
Her return had already spread quietly.
"Thank you for your service," she said with a warm smile.
The heavy doors opened, and they entered the sacred hall where wisdom itself once dwelled.
There, within a sphere-shaped device, sat the small figure of Nahida.
Curled up tightly, eyes shut, brow furrowed, she seemed utterly unaware of the world around her.
"She's trapped within her own heart," Rukkhadevata murmured.
"The shadow runs deep," Lu Heng said with a shake of his head.
Rukkhadevata stepped forward and tapped the sphere lightly. The barrier dissolved. She gathered the small Archon into her arms, smoothing her furrowed brow.
"Don't be afraid. I am here."
Her warmth and words pierced through the darkness.
Nahida's eyes fluttered open. At first dazed, her gaze landed on the face she thought she would never see again. Her lips trembled.
"Great Lord Rukkhadevata… is it really you? Am I… dreaming?"
"As the God of Wisdom, you hold dominion over dreams. Can you not tell if this is a dream?" Rukkhadevata smiled, holding her close, fingers intertwining with the girl's small hand.
The reality of her touch broke the dam. Nahida burst into tears, burying her face in Rukkhadevata's chest.
"You finally came back! I don't want this anymore… I was never worthy to be your successor! I can't protect anyone… I'm nothing!"
Rukkhadevata patted her back softly, wordless in comfort.
Nahida poured out years of pain.
When she had first asked the sages for guidance, they thought she was testing them, and so they taught her eagerly. She was happy, learning new knowledge. But when she could not answer their questions in return, their attitudes changed.
"She's no Archon," they sneered. "If she's the God of Wisdom, then what am I—creation's founder?"
From that day, she was locked away in the sanctuary.
Alone, she cried in silence, believing herself too weak, too ignorant, too disappointing.
The seed of self-doubt was planted, and over centuries it grew into an unshakable tree of despair.
"Please…" Nahida whispered now, clutching Rukkhadevata's hand with desperate fear, "don't leave me again…"
"I won't."
Rukkhadevata knelt down, brushing the tears from her cheeks. "I'll always be here."
Nahida sniffled. "Then… let's pinky promise."
Her little finger trembled as she extended it, eyes flickering with fear that she would be laughed at.
"Of course."
The Archon hooked her finger with hers. "I promise. I'll never leave."
"Okay!"
At last, Nahida exhaled. The crushing weight on her chest melted away.
She was, after all, still only a child. Clever, yes—but still just a little girl burdened with an impossible role.
Lumine's heart softened at the sight. She's so precious… thank goodness Rukkhadevata is here. Now she'll never have to become the Nahida of that other fate.
"Wonderful…" Lumine whispered aloud.
At that moment, Nahida peeked out nervously from behind Rukkhadevata, her wide eyes darting between Lumine and Paimon.
Finally, her gaze landed on Lu Heng.
The instant she recognized him, her pupils shrank.
"You!!!"
The memories came rushing back—his cold figure in white, holding Teyvat in his palm, ready to crush it to dust in mere seconds.
The end of the world had loomed in that moment. Everyone would have died.
Nahida forgot to breathe. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted dead away.
"Uh…" Lumine and Paimon exchanged looks.
Rukkhadevata quickly caught her, chuckling softly.
"She only fainted from fright. She just poured her heart out, and then suddenly saw the one who haunts her nightmares. It's nothing serious."
Lu Heng rubbed his forehead helplessly.
First he had terrified the Raiden Shogun, and now he had frightened a child into fainting.
"What a disaster…"
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T/N:
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